The source said Carlson is "always in discussions" with all the candidates, and nothing is firmly set with Trump and Carlson. The New York Times first reported on Trump's plans to skip the debate for an interview with Carlson. Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Thursday that she believed Trump will sign the pledge if he decides to debate. In a post to his social media platform, Truth Social, on Thursday Trump touted his poll numbers as a reason not to participate in the GOP debate. Chris Christie, a GOP presidential candidate who has qualified for the debate, said, "not going?

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